Signments



(No Model.)

M. F. OONNETT, Jr.

COMBINED WIRE STRE TGHER AND TENSION. No. 381,462. Patented Apr. 17,1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEWV F. CONNETT, JR, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE STAR FENCE MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED WIRE STRETCHER AND TENSION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,462, dated April17, 1888.

Application filed September 1, 1887. Serial No. 248,516. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MATTHEW F. CONNETT, Jr., a resident of Peoria, inthe county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new.and useful Improvements in Combined W'ire-Stretchers and ire-Tensions;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to IO which it pertains to make and use the same.

The drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification fullyillustrate the invention.

Figure 1 shows my device seen from above.

I5 Fig. 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 1.Figs. 3 and 4 are side and edge views of a lever by which the device isactuated.

The device consists of a peculiar rotary 2o mechanism for stretchingwire and a device for holding the wire to be stretched with any desireddegree of force, and at the same time permitting it to slip when thisforce is exceeded.

In the drawings, A is a metallic plate, provided with anintegrally-formed stud, E, and a series of smaller studs, F, disposed inthe arc of a circle about the axis of the stud E.

At the opposite end of the plate is a drum, C, revolubly mounted insuitable projections upon the plate and serving to wind a wire or cord,K, by which the device is attached to a post, N. Motion is imparted tothe drum by means of a lever, P, which passes over the end H of thedrums axis and engages a ratchet, G, fixed thereon. Reverse rotation ofthe drum is prevented bya gravity-pawl, I, which at all. timesfiwhen thedevice is in" working position, is in engagement with the ratchet- 0teeth.

The manner of engagement of the ratchet by the lever is shown in Fig. 4,wherein the ratchets position is indicated in dotted lines. The lever isprovided with a central oblong slot, Q, adapting it to pass over theaxis H, and when the axis is at one end of the slot a tooth, 0, upon thelever engages the ratchet and imparts motion thereto when the lever iscarried in the proper direction. By sliding the lever so that the axis His in the opposite end of the slot Q the tooth O is thrown out ofengagement with the ratchet, and the lever maybe rotated about the axisH to its original position. The lever, when not in use, may be removedentirely from the axis end H, and may evidently serve for use with anynumber of stretchers, and always at that part of its path of revolutionwhere power can best be applied-that is, where the lever is nearly atright angles to the wire K.

In forming fence by inserting pickets one at a time between two adjacentfence-wires and twisting the wires together between the pickets thewires are continually drawn lengthwise by an amount dependent upon theirdeflection from a straight line in passing around the pickets and inintertwisting.

To compensate for any shortening that may thus occur while keeping apractically uniform tension upon the wires is the object of the severalstuds upon the plate A. The fence-wires L L are passed between themiddle studs, F, carried thence about the stud E, and have their freeends L L placed, respectively, between any two studs F. Now, the wirescan evidently slip or pay out to any extent, provided the tension uponthem is sufficient to bend them about the stud E, to again straightenthem, and to overcome their friction against the stud E and the studs F,and the amount of tensile force requisite depends upon the amount ofwinding about the stud Ethat is, upon the point at which the free endspass between the studs F, which may be between the first and second, thesecond and third, and so on. The ends may even be changed in position,varying the tension required, at any time without interfering at allwith the operation of weaving in the pickets. To guard againstaccidental slipping of the wires from the stud E, the latter is providedwith a head, D, whose margin is about a wires diameter within the innermargin of the studs F.

Having fully described the construction and operation of my devices,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Asa wire-tension, the plate A, provided with the stud E, rigidly fixedthereto, and with studs F, arranged about the stud E at suitabledistances therefrom and from each other, where-- tension, thecombination of the plate or frame A, stud E, rigidly fixed thereto,studs F, arranged about a stud, E, at a suitable distance from it andfrom each other, the drum 0, mounted in said frame, cord K,ratchet-wheel G, pawl I, and lever P, substantially as set forth.

specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTHEW F. OONNETT, JR.

Witnesses: 1 G. (1- LOGAN, WM. J. HILL.

In testimony whereof I have signed this i

